The answer depends on how you transitioned your account
A common question from advertisers during the transition process from Yahoo! Search Marketing to adCenter has been, “What happens to my YSM account balance?” Not surprising, since everyone (including small businesses) is watching their dollars closely these days.
The answer to this question depends on how (or if) you transitioned your account, and your status as an advertiser. Your account should fall into one of the following three scenarios:
1. I transitioned my Yahoo! Search Marketing account to adCenter using the process in the Yahoo! user interface.
You do not have to take any action. Any remaining balance in your Yahoo! Search Marketing will automatically be handled in one of the following ways, depending upon the balance amount:
* If your balance was greater than $25 at the time that the ad serving transition completed and your account was put into a read-only state, we will automatically transfer your balance to your adCenter account. This is expected to occur by the middle of November 2010. You will receive notification via email when this is completed. If for any reason your balance cannot be automatically
transferred, it will be processed as a refund in early 2011 (see details below).
* If your balance was $25 or less at the time that the ad serving transition completed and your account was put into a read-only state, your remaining balance will be automatically refunded to you. Refunds will be processed shortly after the transition tool in your Yahoo! Search Marketing account is shut down, which is currently scheduled for early 2011.
2. I have not, or will not, transition my Yahoo! Search Marketing account to adCenter.
You do not have to take any action. Any remaining balance that was in your Yahoo! Search Marketing account when the ad serving transition was completed and your account was put into a read-only state will be automatically refunded to you. Refunds will be processed shortly after the transition tool in your Yahoo! Search Marketing account is shut down, which is currently scheduled for early 2011.
Note: If you haven’t yet transitioned but decide to do so later on, any balance of more than $25 will be automatically transferred to your adCenter account in early 2011. Balances of $25 or less will be refunded shortly after the transition tool in your Yahoo! Search Marketing account is shut down, which is currently scheduled for early 2011.
3. I am a managed advertiser who chose “Keep my adCenter account” as my transition option.
The answer here is the same as #2 above: You do not have to take any action. Any remaining balance that was in your Yahoo! Search Marketing account when the ad serving transition was completed and your account was put into a read-only state will be automatically refunded to you. Refunds will be processed shortly after the transition tool in your Yahoo! Search Marketing account is shut down, which is currently scheduled for early 2011.
To summarize, in all situations, you do not have to request your account balance be refunded—it will be returned to you either in your adCenter account this month, or as a refund in early 2011.
Yahoo blog — November 4th, 2010 01:58 PM The Team